Modern personal music systems such as iPods and MP3 players are small and convenient to use for persons traveling or participating in athletic events. However, use of these devices always presents several issues that must be addressed. The first is where the play is to be positioned while the user is moving. Will it be held in the hand, placed in a pocket or attached to an armband or other special purpose holder? The second is how the wires associated with the earphones be positioned. Will they be draped over the user's clothing, run underneath it or a combination of both? A third is how the earphones will be attached to the user's ears so as not to become dislodged while the user is in motion. The standard music player earphones are small “ear buds” that are placed into the user's ear canals. For most users, this type of earphone arrangement is unsatisfactory for use during exercise or even walking as the ear buds tend to fall out. A fourth concern relates to how the music player battery will be charged sufficiently so as to be available for use upon demand. Many inventions have been developed that address some of these needs.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2009/0210995, published for Kwon et al., discloses a headwear with a receiving part for a portable audio device, and more particularly, to a headwear with a receiving part for portable audio devices which is capable of receiving a portable audio device and an earphone to facilitate listening to music. The headwear with receiving part for portable audio device according to the present invention includes a crown part which is a body of the headwear; a visor part attached to lower front part of the crown part; and a size adjustment part attached to a lower rear part of the crown part, wherein a portable audio device receiving part for receiving a portable audio device is provided at a side surface of the crown part and an earphone holder for holding an earphone cord of the portable audio device is placed at an inside of the size adjustment part.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0185062, published for Peng et al. is directed to a head-mounted MP3 player usable during sports has a head-mounted sports device, an MP3 module, a fixing device, and at least an earphone. The MP3 module is fixed by the fixing device on the head-mounted sports device such as a hat, a sun-hat, a hard helmet, a soft helmet, a head band, a hair ring, a headscarf, a swimming hat, or a diving helmet. The earphone is electrically connected to the MP3 module via a signal cable. The MP3 player can thus be fixed on a user's head. When the user exercises, the MP3 module can be worn on his head with the head-mounted sports device. Moreover, the MP3 module won't fall to cause its damage during sports.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,381, issued to Lal, illustrates a sports helmet for providing a user with a protective sports helmet that would include features such as an mp3 player, a radio, and a cellular telephone. The sports helmet includes a body member that is adapted for receiving a portion of the head of the user. The body member is adapted for protecting the head of the user from impacts. A strap assembly is coupled to the body member. The strap assembly is adapted for extending around a chin of the user for securing the body member to the head of the user. A communication assembly is coupled within the body member. The communication assembly is adapted for providing audio signals to the user when the body member is positioned on the head of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,615, issued to Gesten disclose an audio system and hat connection assembly incorporated into or adapted for connecting to a hat and comprising a first connection plate and corresponding second connection plate that connect through or to the bill or hat material wherein the first section is adapted for storing the audio circuit and speaker components and connects to the second section in a manner that grips the hat material and provides access to the audio controls. In an alternative embodiment, the connection assembly may comprise a clip that secures the audio system to the hat without penetrating it. The assembly includes storage space for securing at least one speaker and audio system, which may be adapted for storing other items, such as money and keys.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,996,846, issued to Bloom, Jr. is directed to an improved visor-type face shield for dentist includes a visor portion and a shield portion coupled to each other by a first pivotable connecting means and second pivotable connecting means. The visor portion comprises a visor assembly, including a visor member and a forehead member, a visor first extension, a visor second extension, and a band, which is coupled with the first and visor second extensions by the band first connection means and band second connection means respectively. The shield portion includes a face shielding means comprising a rest extended from the face shield inner surface, a shield lower portion, a shield upper portion, a shield first connecting means of the first pivotable connecting means, and a shield second connecting means of the second pivotable connecting means. The face shielding means has the curved configuration forming some kind of semi-circular shape or the like, and the lower portion of the face shielding means is bent below the dentist's chin while the upper portion of the face shielding means is bent over the dentist's head.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,615, issued to Gesten, discloses an audio system and hat connection assembly incorporated into or adapted for connecting to a hat and comprising a first connection plate and corresponding second connection plate that connect through or to the bill or hat material wherein the first section is adapted for storing the audio circuit and speaker components and connects to the second section in a manner that grips the hat material and provides access to the audio controls. In an alternative embodiment, the connection assembly may comprise a clip that secures the audio system to the hat without penetrating it. The assembly includes storage space for securing at least one speaker and audio system, which may be adapted for storing other items, such as money and keys.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a hat mounted music system that allows for convenient and secure mounting of an iPod or MP3 player. It is a further objective to provide such a system that eliminates the need for loose wires that connect to earphones. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a system that will securely position earphones over the ears of a user and allow the earphone to be quickly moved away from the ears as needed. It is yet a further objective to provide a system that can be recharged by means of solar radiation. It is still a further objective to provide a means for communications with a cellular telephone or GPS system. It is another objective of the invention to include a walkie-talkie capability in the device. Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide hat mounted flashlights in the system.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.